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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81245	A model of true spiritual thankfulnesse. Delivered in a sermon before the Honourable House of Commons, upon their day of thanksgiving, being Thursday, Feb. 19. 1645, for the great mercy of God, in the surrender of the citie of Chester into the hands of the Parliaments forces in Cheshire, under the command of Sir William Brereton. / By Tho. Case, preacher in Milkstreet London, and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Case, Thomas, 1598-1682.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons.	1646 (1646)	Wing C833; Thomason E323_4; ESTC R200593	35,919	45

over the fourth work and wonder of Providence namely The admirable and even stupendious deliverances which God vouchsafes Mariners and Sea-men in many a black dreadful furious death-threatnin● storm and tempest exprest to the life in the 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Verses I shall not meddle with the D●liverance it self though if I should it would be neither impertinent nor improper for the work of this day for certainly a man might easily run a parallel between the state of the Mariner in th● storm and the condition of this poor and yet bleeding Church and State In Ireland and England We that have gone down into the Sea this Red-sea of Blood and have had our businesse now for these four or five yeers in these great waters of Civil war surely we have seen the works of the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep Verse 24 If ever people saw the works the wonders of the workings of Jehovah we have We have lived I think I may safely speak it in the greatest Age of wonders that ever the Church knew We use to say Miracles are ceast but truely if men have ceased to do Miracles God hath not and yet he hath done them by men too in this Deep of Englands and Scotlands and Irelands troubles and ●fflictions For he commandeth and ●●●seth up the stormy winde Verse 25. which lifteth up the waves thereof Surely all the storms and tempests that have beaten upon these three Kingdoms have not come by chance and fortune this af●●iction hath not risen out of the dust but as it was with Sol●mon af●er his heart began to depart from God it is sa●d 1 Kings 11.14 The Lord stirred up an Adversary unto Solomon Had●d the Ed●mite c. And Vers 23. God stirred him up another Adversary Rezin the son of Eliadah Adversary after Adversary and all stirred up by God So hath it been and is yet with us Storm after Storm Tempest after Tempest one cloud of blood and wrath after another Eccles 12.2 The clouds have returned after rain and all raised up by God in his righteous Judgement upon these sinful backsliding Nations We have as it followeth been mounted up to heaven and then hurl'd down again into the depths Oh the various changes that have been upon us I Somtimes up and somtimes down somtimes raised up as high as heaven by wonderful Deliverances and glorious Victories anon cast down even as l●we as hell As in the West c. by sad breakings of our Armies and losse of our Strong-holds Surely our souls have been melted because of trouble Our hopes have been melted and our hearts have been melted Oh how oft have I seen palenesse in mens faces the very shadow of death upon mens countenances I how oft have I seen men with their hands upon their loyns while fear hath taken hold upon them and sorrow a● pain upon a woman in travel Have we not been in the day of sad tidings from the West and other places in the Kingdom Vers 27. like drunken men full of the fury of the Lord and rebukes of our God reeling to and fro in our spirits and staggering in our Councels at our wits end Parliament at their wits end and Citie at their wits end and Armies at their wits end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All their wisdom swallowed up as the Hebrew signifies nonplust and lost not knowing what to do next unlesse it were with the Mariners in my Text for the most part the profanest of men to go and cry to God in our trouble Vers 28. betake our selves to our fasting and prayers when God hath shewed himself easie to be intreated 2 King 20.12 very gracious at the voice of our cry and hath brought us out of these distresses and straits wherein were calming the storms and stilling the waves the pride and rage Verse 30. the power and policie of our devouring Adversaries Thus hath the Lord done as often heretofore so now wonderfully of late at Dartmouth and Plymouth at Hereford at Belvoyre and at Chester the Wonder of mercy which we this day celebrate Thus you see if I should pitch upon the Deliverance it self here would be a foundation upon which we might build a Discourse not unseasonable or unsutable to the work of the day But it is not the Deliverance it self but the Return which hath called out my thoughts and now humbly calls for your attention And this Return is Twofold 1. What they do Then are they glad c. 2. What they should do O that men would praise the Lord c. And to hold you in the porch no longer though many Observations might be raised from the words I shall onely from the comparing of these two together sc What men do when mercies and deliverances come in They are glad with what they should do O that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse c. hold forth to you this Point of Doctrine Every man in the world can be glad of mercies and deliverances but the duty that God expects is that men should praise him for his mercies Then are they glad I but that will not serve the turn it is a Return of an high nature which God looks for Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse c. Or thus if you please There is a great difference between Gladnesse and Thankfulnesse It is one thing to be glad of a mercy or deliverance it is another thing to be thankful for it What that difference is and wherein it doth consist is all I intend to do upon the Doctrinal part of this Truth They differ in these four things sc in respect of their 1. Nature The difference between Gladnesse and Thankfulnesse 2. Rise or ground 3. Duration 4. Operation 1. In their Nature First Gladnesse and Thankfulnesse differ in their Nature Gladnesse or Joy is but a natural affection Some of the Stoick Philosophers have defined or described it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysippus and other Stoicks Elatio animi propter aliquid quod optandum esse videatur it is the lifting up or widening or enlargement of the heart upon the coming in of any sutable and desirable good And it is found not onely in * Psal 105.38 Lam. 1.21 natural men but even in the bruit creatures even these you see do expresse in their way a great deal of gladnesse and contentment when they meet with that which is sutable to their natures and dispositions But now Thankfulnesse which is here commended is a divine grace wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God whereby the heart is drawn out towards God in gracious and holy desires and endeavours to praise and exalt the Lord who is the Author and Donor of the Mercie as here it is expressed by this chiefest and highest act of Thankfulnesse Oh that men would praise the Lord c. Let them exalt him

as eternal as the God of those wonders And to that end Tenthly in longing to praise God in heaven Tenthly and lastly gracious spirits in laid and enamel'd with Thankfulnesse because they can live but a while to praise God on earth and their generations too shall not continue after them for ever to do this work therefore they breathe after heaven where in the presence of God their praises shall be perfected and perpetuated here they are weak weary full of natural and sinful mixtures and defilements there they shall be vigorous active pure perfect as unchangeable as interminable as eternitie it self They rest not day and night Revel 8.4 saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almightie which was and is and is to come Thankfulnesse is a pure flame of a restlesse motion ever mounting upward till it come to its element the Quire of Saints and Angels in heaven where it shall sing everlasting Hallelujahs to him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb where it shall keep a day of Thanksgiving that shall never know an evening And thus have I done with the fourth and last difference between Gladnesse and Thankfulnesse sc their operations and so with the whole Doctrinal part of my Discourse I should now come to improve it to Vse and Application two ways especially 1. By way of an Examination 2. By way of Direction But truely the very opening of the Doctrine unto you hath done both these already to your hands or at least furnisht you with materials upon which you may do both your selves Take this Model or Platform of true Thankfulnesse lay it before you operate upon it in your serious and impartial thoughts and if you would know whether you are a thankful people or no you may easily resolve into an Vse of Examination while every branch under all these four heads of differences will serve you as Note of Trial whereby you may make some Judgement upon the question Whether you do more then others of the world in this great work of Thankfulnesse And if you would know how you might be thankful set this Model in your eye and it will serve you as Directory wherein every branch again will be a Rule whereby you may form and proportion your Thankfulnesse according to the Word and the example of those Saints who have excell'd in this grace and duty of Thankfulnesse Truely Honourable and Beloved you had need to do it and to do it with your best and purest intentions for I professe to you the most not most of men onely but of Christians do wofully mistake both this duty and themselves too The world yea the greatest part of the Gospel-world is extremely out in this great businesse of Thankfulnesse It is sad and fearful to observe with what skins and shadows and almost mockeries God is turn'd off in stead of this pure holy spiritual active grace and duty of Thankfulnesse God looks for praise and we turn him off with a natural lazie selfish Gladnesse Some haply go not so far but like the elder Brother in the Gospel stand murmuring quarrelling without whilst in our Fathers house there is feasting and musick Many malignant spirits there be who fret and repine and gnash their teeth at the glorious Successes wherewith God hath been pleased to crown the out-goings of his servants and people in these later days But truely that sads not my spirit so much as to see a people whom God hath strived to endear unto himself by so many miracles of preservation Deliverances and Victories to mock God out of his praise and themselves at length out of their mercies Surely we may weep over our Deliverances and turn our days of Thanksgiving into days of mourning and lamentation to consider how we dally with God and put him off with a few empty formal Complements in stead of that real and spiritual and vital dutie which he expects and deserves at our hands And therefore I said when I heard I was designed to the service of this day I will not stand to analyse this mercie nor take in pieces this work of God the surrender of that strong impregnable Hold of Chester though very great and worthy to be sought out by all them that take pleasure in the works of the Lord but I will tell the Parliament and tell the Kingdom what it is to be thankful that they may see how much they are mistaken and what wrath hangs over our heads for the carnality rottennesse hypocrisie of our rejoycings over all the wonders which God hath done for England And therefore Noble Senators and all you that stand before God this day or to whom the words of this day may come sit down I beseech you seriously examine your selves by and compare your selves with this Model of Thankfulnesse held forth to you this day and see whether indeed you do come up to the Law of that Service which all the wonders that God hath done for you doth call for at your hands and what course you are to take for the preventing and averting of that wrath which I am afraid is gone forth against us for this thing I cannot stand to convince you by each particular in this Model Give me leave to single out but one branch and to deal faithfully with you in that particular it is a main one and such as will include many other It is the fifth branch of the fourth head of Difference between Gladnesse and Thankfulnesse namely Paying of Vows or keeping of Covenant with God Noble Patriots and all you that come hither to keep a day of Thanksgiving to God this day come on set up tribunals and place Conscience thereon as an impartial Judge to keep a little day of Judgement in your bosoms this day We must all appear before the Judgemedt-seat of Christ one day 2 Cor. 5.10 and how soon the Lord onely knows Come start not back better judge our selves then be judged of the Lord If we cannot stand before our own Consciences how shall we be able to stand before that Judge who is greater then our heart and knoweth all things 1 Joh. 3.20 the great-heart-maker and the great-heart-searcher Come on then I say and see whether in this one branch of Thankfulnesse we can approve our selves to God to be a thankful people I will not ravel into your bosoms to enquire with what dispositions of spirit upon what grounds and interests to what ends and references you entred into the Solemn League and Covenant though I wish with all my heart that you would perhaps you would finde a pad in the straw in your entrance into this Covenant possibly you may discover rashnesse in opposition to judgement hypocrisie in opposition to truth and sincerity it may be base lowe carnal ends and aims in opposition to Righteousnesse which are the Qualifications of a religious Covenanter Jer. 4.2 perhaps such workings of heart as sometimes brought the Sichemites into Covenant with the sons of

Ez●kiel c. giving the hand Ezek. 17.18 or as with us lifting up the hand to the most high God doth God aggravate their Covenant-violation when lo he had given his hand God speaks with indignation as of an eminent and remarkable treachery and persidiousnesse When lo he had given his hand And for this indeed now they begin to judge themselves We have no King because we feared not the Lord that is because we have not feared the Oath of the Lord but have dealt falsly and treacherously in the Covenant it is just with God we should have no King that our King should break Covenant with us that have broken Covenant with our God yea they judge themselves not onely for what is past but unworthy to sinde mercy for the time to come not onely We have no King but What then shall a King do to us q. d. We deserve never to see the face of our King any more but to be left to per●sh in our Confusions and Divisions while every man doth what is good in his own eye or if our King should come back out of Captivity What should he do to us Can we expect a King should do us any good while our God is angry with us for our Covenant-wickednesse No if he should come out of Babylon again God might make him a curse in stead of a blessing a plague and a snare to our destruction Men and Brethren this I take to be the sense of the place and I need say no more Surely every one of you here before God have with trembling hearts prevented me in the Application onely let me adde this If God were so angry and threatens so furiously the breach of a Covenant made with an Heathenish Tyrant an Infidel with whom the other Babylon Mystical Babylon teacheth no faith is to be k●pt because it was made before God and by the Name of God shall he prosper shall he escape that doth such things Jer. 17.19 or shall he break the Covenant and be delivered As I live mine Oath that he hath despised and my Covenant that he hath broken even it will I recompence upon his own head c. Oh how shall she escape yea of how much sorer punishment shall we be thought worthy if we be found guilty of so high a perjury in breaking and despising a Covenant made not onely before God in the Name of God but with God himself In so solemn and sacred a manner with Fasting and Prayer and Sermons and lifting up our hands to the most high God Oh that as we have sinned with this people and beyond insinitely beyond the line and measure of their transgressi●ns so we would judge our selves with them in the bitternesse of our spirits We have no King because we feared not the Lord speaking words swearing falsly in making a Covenant and what then should a King do to us We hope an end shall be put shortly to these bloody desolating wars and we cry to the Sword Oh thou Sword of the Lord Jer. 47.6 how long will it be ere thou be quiet put up thy self into thy scabbard rest and be still but the Sword will not obey our voice and no wonder for we have not obeyed the voice of the Sword we have not heard the Sword and who had appointed it and therefore meth●nks I hear the Sword replying How can I be quiet since the Lord hath given me a charge against England Vers 7. Yea methinks I hear God renewing the Commission of the Sword in the words of that threatning I will bring a sword upon yo● that shall avenge the quarrel of my Covenant We keep now a day of Thank●giving for the surrender of a strong Hold in the Kingdom Levit. 26.25 and God hath sent us in the glad tiding of a great Victory in the West to fill up our joy and to bespeak more days of Rejoycing and Thankfulnesse but for my part I fear that for these things the Sword hath yet a Commission to come up to London to passe thorow the Kingdom and that we shall hear ere long as fast of Losing Cities and Castles and the strong Garisons of the Kingdom as now of gaining them and read our Catalogue of Deliverances and Victories backward with sad hearts Chester lost Hereford lost Dartmonth lost sic in caet If you would prevent so sad a turn of things give me leave humbly to commend to you these two short Advices 1. Proclaim I beseech you a solemn Fast wherein we may professedly humble and afflict our souls for our Covenant-violations whereby God is so deeply provoked and wherein if it might seem good to your wisdoms the Covenant might be renewed in a more solemn and serious manner with our God that as Samuel called the people to Gilgal to renew the Kingdom upon Saul so you that are England's Samuels 1 Sam. 11.14 might call the people together to this Galgal where the Lord first rolled away our reproa●h by bringing us into the bond of the Covenant to renew the Kingdom upon our Lord Jesus whom God hath appointed to be King in his holy Hill of Sion Psal 2.6 For think not Brethren I beseech you that because we have broken our Covenant with God therefore we are disobliged from our Covenant that were an easie way to get loose indeed if when we are weary of our Vows it were but to go and sin against them and then we are disengaged But it is with the Covenant as it is with the Law there is a twofold obligation the one to duty the other to a curse and if we break the one the other will hold us fast enough Did not my words take hold upon your fathers How Zech. 1 6. Surely not in the commanding power of them but in the executionary power they took hold on them with a vengeance And therefore our way is to bring our selves again under the commanding power that we may not lie under the condemning cursing power of the Covenant Indeed the Covenant is then broken and not fully till then when a people will not own their Covenant with God and therefore Oh that the Lord would help us in this our day to consider the things that belong unto our peace before they be hid from our eyes 2. To that end studie real Thankfulnesse To you that sit at the Stern guiding the Ship of this Church and State in this troublesome Sea let me commend unto you but this piece of Thankfulnesse Set up God Vers 23. Exalt him in the congregation of the people by setting up the Ministery of the Word Let this be your wisedom and honour that when God hath given up the strong Holds of the Kingdom to you you would render them up back again to God by placing able and faithful Ministers in those eminent places of the Kingdom that may undeceive the poor mifled people and to season them with Principles of Religion and Loyaltie to